Theatre 1874-9, and library/art gallery now museum 1881; by
Dogshun and Unsworth; rebuilt after fire, except for library
block and part of auditorium, 1929-32, by Elizabeth Scott of
the firm Scott, Chesterton and Shepherd. Conference centre in
original auditorium converted to Swan Theatre 1983-6 by M
Reardon. Theatre: Dutch-influenced Modernist. Brick with
cut-brick reliefs; flat roof, and lead pavilion roof to Swan
Theatre. Main auditorium has foyer and restaurant, with Swan
Theatre to rear, to which is attached the museum wing.
EXTERIOR: entrance front convex and nearly symmetrical, with
2-storey, 5-bay centre articulated by ribbed piers,
modillioned parapet; tall metal-frame windows, those to 1st
floor with balconies and cut-brick allegorical reliefs by E
Kennington. Late C20 glazed porch over 5 grid-pattern double
doors. Attic storey with windows in ribbed recesses and taller
block with banded slots; fly tower with vitrified headers and
triangular strips. Flanking bays under same parapet of 3
storeys; plain 5-light windows. Taller recessed wings, that to
left end has polygonal stair turret with grilles to windows,
that on left having semi-octagonal termination.
Concave left return, river front, remodelled before 1944,
2-storey projection to right end, with glazed ground floor and
glazing behind 1st-floor balcony; shorter balcony to attic
level; left end has plain windows, balconies to 1st floor;
Swan Theatre has groups of 3 lights. Terrace along river has
iron railings, part cantilevered over water.
Rear has large bowed centre, part of 1st theatre; stone-coped
plinth and flush bands; round-headed entrance with continuous
mouldings and C20 doors, flanking pairs of entriched panels;
1st floor has 5 segmental-headed transomed windows of 2
trefoil-headed lights; attic with late C20 gabled dormers and
roof with cresting and vane finials. Stair turret to right end
has canted angles. Base of C19 tower to left, with tall
pointed entrance and 3 pointed lights above; C20 upper part.
Right return front simpler; recessed entrances to left end and
low terrace with ribbed piers.
Museum wing: brick with ashlar dressings; hipped slate roof
with rear stack. German Gothic style. 2 storeys with attic;
3-bay range with end wings. Ashlar plinth, string courses and
parapet; recessed timber-framed attic. Entrance to right wing
has 2 segmental-headed doorways below pointed arches with
mullions, battened doors with strap hinges. Ground floor
centre has 3-light double-chamfered mullioned windows with
trefoil heads and 2 transoms between offset buttresses, frieze
with shields above and 1st floor has pointed arches with
gablets and blind tracery over terracotta reliefs by P Kummer,
between clustered shafts supporting gabled niches; skylight to
mansard roof.
Left wing has 3 plain lights to ground floor; 1st floor has
frieze with shields below 3-light pointed windows flanking
niche with castle-like canopy; attic recessed behind
chequer-work parapet has windows with leaded glazing; 1st
floor of right wing similar. Left return has two 3-light
pointed windows flanking base to 1st floor canted 2:5:2-light
transomed oriel with hipped lead roof; right return has
lean-to stair projection with gargoyles and trefoil-headed
lights. Rear is blind; former bridge to theatre has C20 glazed
infill to wide segmental arch; C20 first floor has 3-light
leaded casements.
INTERIOR: has predominantly geometric decorations;
cantilevered spiral stair with marble parapet; auditorium
remodelled 1950-51; Swan Theatre modelled on early examples,
with balconies on timber posts.
Museum wing: full-height stair hall has tall arcading to stair
with marble shafts and wrought-iron grilles; good stained
glass; wooden balustrade to balcony and waggon roof; ground
floor has room with large fireplace with diaper work and inner
hood; 1st floor has gallery with pointed arch to end room,
which has stained glass to oriel in memory of Sir Frank
Benson, founder of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, front
window in memory of Benson's company.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the theatre stands on the site of the Rotunda
built for the 1769 Shakespeare Jubilee, organised by David
Garrick, the beginning of modern interest in Shakespeare and
his work.
The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was added to the List on
14.10.80.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth:
1966-: 415-6; Bearman R: Stratford-upon-Avon: A History of its
Streets and Buildings: Nelson: 1988-: 13).

Listing NGR: SP2033754730

Selected Sources

Books and journalsBearman, R, Stratford Upon Avon A History of its streets and buildings, (1988), 13Pevsner, N, Wedgwood, A, The Buildings of England: Warwickshire, (1966), 415-6

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